Agriculture

Wed
02
Oct

What's Up at the USDA Office?

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
October 31: Deadline to apply for Organic Certified Cost Share Program (OCCSP)
December 2: Deadline to return COC ballots to FSA Office

Taking First Round applications
Although the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) takes program applications on a continual basis, we are still taking applications for the first round of funding and have a new way of processing applications more efficiently through ACT NOW.

Wed
02
Oct

Small Farm and Beginning Farmer Webinars offer guidance and insight to entrepreneurs

Learn about small-farm topics related to crops, livestock and business management during ISU Extension and Outreach webinar sessions

Are you ready to cultivate your dreams and turn that small plot of land into a thriving and sustainable farm?

Join Iowa State University Extension and Outreach for the Small Farm & Beginning Farmer series, designed exclusively for beginning farmers and small acreage owners.

Hosted by ISU Extension and Outreach in Muscatine County, this series is a combination of informative webinars and hands-on, in-person events. It is tailored to provide essential insight and practical advice for those venturing into farming or seeking to enhance their small-scale agricultural operations.

Each session, led by industry experts and seasoned professionals, covers critical topics relevant to the challenges and opportunities of small-scale farming.

Wed
25
Sep

What's Up at the USDA Office?

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
September 27: Fiscal Year Rollover
October 31: Deadline to apply for Organic Certified Cost Share Program (OCCSP)
December 2: Deadline to return COC ballots to FSA Office

USDA Now Accepting Applications for Available Funds to Help Cover Organic Certification Costs
Through the Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP), USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will cover up to 75% of organic certification costs at a maximum of $750 per certification category. FSA is now accepting applications, and organic producers and handlers should apply for OCCSP by the Oct. 31, 2024, deadline for eligible expenses incurred from Oct. 1, 2023, to Sept. 30, 2024. FSA will issue payments as applications are received and approved.

Wed
25
Sep

Northeast Iowa pasture walk focuses on fall management and weaning strategies

Fall is a busy time of the year with harvest and field operations. But attention should also be given to pastures and cattle management. Lenth Herefords, outside of Postville, Iowa, has developed a system of properly managing their pastures while caring for their herd of Hereford cattle.

“This free event is great opportunity for area producers and cattlemen to learn about fall management considerations for forages, as well as some cattle management strategies that have been proven to be successful on the Lenth farm”

Wed
18
Sep

What's Up at the USDA Office?

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
August 2 - September 30: Non-Emergency Grazing of CRP
Current - October 31: Organic Certified Cost Share Program (OCCSP)
December 2: Deadline to return COC ballots to FSA Office

Canada Thistle Control in Natural Areas
by Jason Andersen, Pheasants Forever

Wed
18
Sep

Anaerobic digestion to be featured in ISU Extension and Outreach Fall Webinar Series

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will hold an innovative series of webinars focused on the rapidly evolving field of anaerobic digestion.

Hosted by Daniel Andersen, associate professor in agriculture and biosystems engineering at Iowa State, this engaging series is set to uncover the potential of anaerobic digestion technologies in modern agriculture.

Titled “Emerging Science of Anaerobic Digestion,” the webinar series is designed to inform farmers, technical service providers and project developers about the essentials of anaerobic digesters, the opportunities for their adoption, the promising future of biomass digestion and the challenges with implementation. Scheduled to begin on Oct. 8, these monthly sessions aim to provide a comprehensive overview, from basic digester operations to the impact they could have on sustainable agriculture.

Wed
11
Sep

What's Up at the USDA Office?

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
August 2 - September 30: Non-Emergency Grazing of CRP
Current – October 31: Organic Certified Cost Share Program (OCCSP)
December 2: Deadline to return COC ballots to FSA Office

Annual Review of Payment Eligibility for New Crop Year 
FSA and NRCS program applicants for benefits are required to submit a completed CCC-902 Farming Operation Plan and CCC-941 Average Gross Income (AGI) Certification and Consent to Disclosure of Tax Information for FSA to determine the applicant’s payment eligibility and establish the maximum payment limitation applicable to the program applicant.

Wed
11
Sep

Forage Field Day to be hosted by Iowa Beef Center and Kirkwood Community College

Project focuses on interseeding Sudangrass into perennial pasture

An ongoing research project with the Iowa Beef Center focuses on interseeding Sudangrass into poor stands of perennial pastures as an effort to boost forage productivity. IBC will host a field day to present current findings on Sept. 12 at the Kirkwood Community College’s Tippie Beef Center in Cedar Rapids.

“This field day will feature research plots where Sudangrass was interseeded into calving paddocks this spring,” said Iowa Beef Center program specialist Beth Reynolds. “This is the second year of a three-year project, and the results will be shared with attendees.”

In addition to growing additional forage, the Sudangrass can capture valuable nutrients that are more prone to runoff in areas with a greater proportion of bare ground.

Wed
04
Sep

What's Up at the USDA Office?

Upcoming Deadlines/Dates
August 2 - September 30: Non-Emergency Grazing of CRP
Current – October 31: Organic Certified Cost Share Program (OCCSP)
December 2: Deadline to return COC ballots to FSA Office

Cost Sharing Available
Cost sharing on conservation practices is still available. Through the State of Iowa Division of Soil Conservation, IDALS, applications are taken continuously for terraces, grade stabilization structures (ponds), sediment basins (dry ponds) and waterways.  The cost sharing is 50 percent up to the estimated cost.

Wed
04
Sep

Beef Quality Assurance Training Programs set for September at three locations; Training can also be completed online

Learn more about the BQA program and become certified this fall

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, in cooperation with the Iowa Beef Industry Council, will host Beef Quality Assurance training programs on three consecutive Wednesdays this fall in central and south-central Iowa.

“BQA certification is perhaps more important than ever as major packers now require a current certificate from feedlot producers selling market-ready cattle,” said Chris Clark, ISU Extension and Outreach beef specialist.

“It is basically a matter of market access for people marketing fed cattle because all the major packers now require that suppliers are BQA certified,” Clark said. “Beyond just fulfilling that requirement though, the BQA program includes a great deal of useful information that producers can take home and immediately utilize in their beef cattle operations.”

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